High school moving day is moved up

School board members voted unanimously to change the high school class schedule so crews can come in over the Thanksgiving break to move the high school classrooms into the newly finished wing that will eventually become home to Englewood Middle School.

“The fact phase one construction is at least 30 days ahead of schedule makes it possible to have the high school classrooms shifted to the temporary location over the Thanksgiving holiday instead of delaying the move until the winter holiday break,” Brian Ewert, school superintendent, told the school board at the Oct. 1 meeting. “In order to adjust the moving dates, the board needs to officially change the high school calendar.”

The calendar changes apply only to the Englewood High School and the Englewood Leadership Academy. The change gives those students a five-day Thanksgiving break. The Thanksgiving break for the remainder of Englewood students will be three days.

The calendar changes would make Nov. 25 and 26, originally scheduled as class days, work days for teachers. The change will accommodate moving the classroom furniture and materials by Nov. 25. Then Nov. 26 can be a day when teachers have the time to set up their new classrooms.

The second schedule change for Englewood High School and Englewood Leadership Academy is that students will be in class Dec. 20. The original calendar designated Dec. 20 as a moving day, so high school and leadership academy students would have been out of class.

The classroom move is necessary to allow crews to demolish the remainder of the high school building for phase two construction of the remainder of the new campus. Demolition of the building is scheduled to begin the week of Dec. 16.

Ewert said teachers are now being provided boxes and labels so they can begin packing the items they want moved.

“Crews will be on site Nov. 23 and 24 to begin moving the boxed-up items to the new classrooms,” the superintendent said. “The move is scheduled to wrap up on Nov. 25.”

He said maintenance personnel will also be at work during the move to get the bell system operating in the new wing.

Ewert said the high school faculty was asked for opinions about the calendar change.

“Teachers said they are prepared to make this move and all agreed to the calendar change and the early moving date,” the superintendent said. “This early move could save the district about $50,000.”

School Board member Duane Tucker asked how the early move would save money.

“The move keeps construction ahead of schedule and if the project is completed, the contractors leave early and the district save money,” Ewert said. “However, there is some concern that schedule may be delayed if contractors run into asbestos during the demolition of the high school buildings.”

Scott Gorsky, school board president, asked if special bins could be set up to collect materials to be recycled like the boxes used in the move.

“During the move, we’ll probably find outdated textbooks,” he said. “I believe there is a nonprofit organization that collects used textbooks so they can be used in schools that need them. I hope we can contact them and get the books to them.”

Operations, Maintenance and Transportation Supervisor Dave Henderson added that he has been in contact with an organization that will accept donations of used school furniture that will be given to schools in Africa.